This week, due to the holiday, Co-Op Classics has been bumped up a day. Last week, we covered the firsttwo Gauntlet games. Though there were a few sequels, the next real innovation to the series was Gauntlet Legends, the first 3D game in the series. Highly successful both in the arcades and for home systems, Legends got a sequel, Gauntlet Dark Legacy, which is probably the finest game in the entire series, in my opinion.
But first, let's talk about Gauntlet Legends. More than a dozen years had passed since Gauntlet II hit arcades. During that time, gaming had changed drastically. Two dimensional sprites and artwork just didn't cut it anymore, thanks to the rise of 3D technology. Old school titles had to be reinvented to keep up with the times. Some of these transitions were highly successful, such as Super Mario 64. Others were not so lucky (Frogger 3D, we're looking at you). It was only a matter of time before a fantastic old school game like Gauntlet was given the three dimensional makeover, and in 1998 that's exactly what happened.